DJ 3rd Degree’s Fire Pick of the WeekWeek of February 19, 2018Welcome to 2018 everyone! Thanks for continuing to support indie rap music and the Rap Attack DJ’s.When we think about movie soundtracks, Hip Hop centered movie soundtracks to be specific, so many stand out as outstanding. The soundtracks for movies like “Juice”, “Boyz N Da Hood”, “Menace To Society”, “8 Mile”, “Above The Rim” and more come to mind. Well, this week is a special one for movie fans and Hip Hop movie soundtrack fans.“Black Panther” is the new Marvel movie that’s been released to major fan and critical acclaim. It’s got an amazing soundtrack curated by KendrickLamar and the TDE Entertainment label, featuring the TDE roster (Kendrick, SZA, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and others) alongside other artists such as 2 Chainz, Swae Lee, Khalid and Vince Staples. Interscope Records released the “Black Panther” soundtrack and it does not disappoint.The first single released, “All The Stars”, features Kendrick and SZA. Following that comes “King’s Dead” with Jay Rock, Kendrick, Future and James Blake. One of my favorite tracks is the 3rd single, titled “Pray for Me”, which features TheWeekend on vocals and Kendrick delivering a dope set of verses!

This soundtrack, along with the movie, has really gotten 2018 off to an amazing start. Rush out and see the movie, then grab the soundtrack!! It is worth your time and money for sure!!Til next week . . .Peace!!DJ 3rd Degree

Brendon Reyes (KBOO-Portland)

When it comes to naming any of the first female innovators of Hip Hop, Salt-N-Pepa had better be on that list. The New York duo (trio if including DJ Spinderella) blasted onto the music scene back in 1985. They were one of the very first all female Hip Hop groups and shot up the charts with their infamously classic hit, "Push It". At the 1995 Grammy Awards Salt-N-Pepa walked away with the award for “Best Rap Performance by a Group” for their smash "None of Your Business". Over their career span, they went from being underground MC’s to becoming an influential powerhouse within the pop realm with songs like "Let's Talk About Sex" and the En Vouge featured, "Whatta Man". After taking a lengthy hiatus from 2002 to 2007, the ladies returned to the spotlight. This time, it was for their very own show on VH1 — "The Salt-n-Pepa Show".After reuniting and performing on numerous tours and awards shows, the ladies dropped some new music. During that time, the "Big Girls" single surfaced. The tune is an ode to all the boss ladies out there. Performed in true Salt-N-Pepa fashion, the duo exchanged verses in their confident bravado. The song finally found itself in the remix world with a Wiz mix produced by Dee Wiz that placed the song over a vintage Hip Hop based instrumental. The song is available everywhere (Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music).

In 2017 Slum Village member Young RJ released his solo debut, Blaq Royalty. He now returns with a new single, the introspective “I Know,” with Phat Kat and Guilty Simpson.“‘I Know’ discusses issues arising from Black Men being products of their environment,” RJ says. “Due to the intricate economic systems put in place, Black men have been set up to fail from the womb (or beginning). Many feel this is a controversial topic, with a lot of truth behind it.”

HIP HOP LEGEND LOVE BUG STARSKI PASSES AT AGE 56by Jay QuanLove Bug Starskiwas right thereat the genesis of the subculture now known as Hip Hop, before it even had a name. With his Grandmother living only 4 blocks away from the Black Spade hotbed known as the Bronx River Projects, he made friends early with architects like Kool D.J. D and AfrikaBambaataa. Starski was one of the first to D.J. and Emcee simultaneously, and even though he got his start right there at Bronx River, he also carried equipment and records for the late great Pete DJ Jones who played for a more mature crowd. The Grandmaster Flash, who studied Jones and was impressed with Jones’ ability to preview records via the cue button on his Clubman mixer, introduced Love Bug to Jones. Along with Keith Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, Love Bug is said to be one of the originators of the word “Hip Hop”. He rhythmically inserted it into his rhymes and used it as a segue, much in the style of Wonder Mike’s intro on the Sugar Hill Gangs’ “Rappers Delight”. It was Afrika Bambaataa who later used the words Hip Hop to describe the street artform, including Djing, B-Boying (breakdancing), Graffiti and Emceeing (rapping), but it was Keith Cowboy & Love Bug who are credited with the creation of the term.

Sylvia Robinson, who started the first notable rap music label Sugar HillRecords,attended a birthday party at Harlem World for one of her nieces and this was the first time that she heard rap music This is also where she formulated the idea to commit the music to record, as a way to get herself and her stable of record labels (Stang, All Platinum and Turbo) out of debt. It was the Love Bug Starski that she witnessed that night. Master Gee of the Sugar Hill Gang told me that before there was a Sugar Hill Gang, Rappers Delight or even Sugar Hill Records as a name, Starski was the first Emcee to record for Sylvia. He actually rapped to the track that would become “Freedom” by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5.

Lovebug Starsky would eventually record for Fever Records (run by SalAbbatiello,who owned and operated the infamous Disco Fever nightclub) as well as Tayster and Epic Records.He penned the title track for the soundtrack to the failed 80’s movie “Rappin’”. Lovebug Starski’s biggest hit and signature song is “Live At The Disco Fever” produced by the late great Larry Smith. “You’ve Gotta Believe”, which he recently remade, was a big hit as well. In addition to being an early Dj/Emcee, Starski was also one of the first to deliver an energetic stage show, using the entire stage when he performed.

Love Bug was an extremely private and guarded person, who rarely gave interviews. Rest In Peace to one of the building blocks of the Hip Hop subculture.